What are the best instructional design courses on Coursera?

Top courses include Instructional Design Foundations and Applications from the University of Illinois and An Introduction to Learning Experience Design (LXD) from the University of Michigan as well. These programs cover learning theory, course planning, digital pedagogy, and technology tools for designing engaging learning experiences.

Can I learn instructional design for free on Coursera?

Yes. Many instructional design courses offer a free audit option. You can access video lectures and readings at no cost. If you want to complete assessments or earn a certificate, you’ll need to upgrade or apply for financial aid.

What will I learn in an instructional design course?

You’ll learn how to design learning objectives, structure courses, select appropriate media and tools, and evaluate learning outcomes. Many courses also include frameworks like ADDIE, Bloom’s Taxonomy, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL).

Do I need a teaching background to start learning instructional design?

Not necessarily. While experience in education or training can be helpful, many courses are beginner-friendly and provide a strong foundation for anyone interested in creating effective learning experiences.

Can Coursera’s instructional design courses help me build a career?

Yes. Instructional design is a growing field across education , corporate training , government , and nonprofits . Coursera courses can help you build job-ready skills, create a portfolio of work, and earn certificates that demonstrate your ability to design engaging and effective learning materials.

Top Instructional Design Courses - Learn Instructional Design Online

Status: New

Status: Free Trial

IBM

IBM UI/UX Designer

Skills you'll gain: User Story, UI/UX Research, User Experience, Agile Software Development, Wireframing, User Centered Design, Agile Methodology, Usability, Responsive Web Design, Kanban Principles, Backlogs, Design Thinking, User Flows, User Experience Design, Sprint Retrospectives, Agile Project Management, UI Components, Figma (Design Software), Prototyping, User Interface (UI) Design

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Epidemiology: The Basic Science of Public Health

Skills you'll gain: Epidemiology, Public Health and Disease Prevention, Public Health, Infectious Diseases, Research Design, Health Policy, Biostatistics, Science and Research, Health Care, Probability & Statistics, Statistical Analysis

Status: Free Trial

Rice University

Fundamentals of Computing

Skills you'll gain: Computational Thinking, Event-Driven Programming, Algorithms, Combinatorics, Graph Theory, Programming Principles, Application Development, Object Oriented Programming (OOP), Data Structures, Probability, Computer Programming, Bioinformatics, Interactive Design, Program Development, Big Data, Python Programming, Mathematical Software, Data Analysis, Theoretical Computer Science, Computer Science

Status: New

Status: Free Trial

Status: New AI skills

Adobe

Adobe Marketing Specialist

Skills you'll gain: Promotional Strategies, Marketing Strategy and Techniques, Social Media Content, Digital Marketing, Cross-Channel Marketing, Design Elements And Principles, Typography, Content Marketing, Marketing, Design, Target Audience, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, Generative AI, Social Media, Marketing Analytics, Data Ethics, Content Creation, Social Media Strategy, Adobe Creative Cloud, Graphic and Visual Design Software

Status: New

Coursera

Simple to Stunning: The Fidelity Evolution in Figma Design

Skills you'll gain: Figma (Design Software), Graphic and Visual Design, User Interface (UI) Design, Typography, Design Elements And Principles, User Experience Design, Usability, Style Guides, Wireframing, Mockups, UI Components

Status: New

Coursera

Interaction Architect: Dynamic Prototyping in Sketch

Skills you'll gain: Responsive Web Design, Prototyping, Cross Platform Development, User Interface (UI) Design, User Flows, Mockups, Interaction Design, User Experience Design

Status: New

Coursera

From Concept to Critique: Prototyping with Sketch

Skills you'll gain: User Experience Design, Design Reviews, Prototyping, Interaction Design, Mockups, UI/UX Research, Wireframing, Usability Testing, User Flows

Status: Free Trial

University of Washington

Introduction to Public Speaking

Skills you'll gain: Public Speaking, Verbal Communication Skills, Communication, Communication Strategies, Composure, Instructional Design, Stress Management, Education Software and Technology, Organizational Skills

Status: New

Coursera

Validate & Elevate: Usability Testing in Sketch

Skills you'll gain: Usability Testing, Software Design Documents, User Experience Design, User Centered Design, UI/UX Research, Prototyping, Test Planning, Design Software

Status: New

Coursera

Interaction Intelligence: Advanced Prototyping with Figma

Skills you'll gain: Responsive Web Design, Figma (Design Software), Prototyping, Mockups, User Interface (UI), Interaction Design, Usability, User Experience Design, User Flows, Animations

Status: New

Coursera

Prototype to Success: Figma Prototyping Essentials

Skills you'll gain: Figma (Design Software), Prototyping, Mockups, Interaction Design, Design Reviews, User Interface and User Experience (UI/UX) Design, Wireframing, Collaborative Software, UI Components, Usability Testing, Animations

Status: New

Coursera

Flow Forward: Mastering User Journeys & Wireframing in Figma

Skills you'll gain: User Experience Design, User Flows, Figma (Design Software), Usability, User Interface (UI), User Centered Design, Wireframing, User Research

Instructional Design Courses

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